Reinforcing attachment for the rear axles of motor-vehicles.



H. B. VEHSTEDT.

REINFORCING ATTACHMENT FOR'THE REAR AXLES 0F MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2.191 RENEWED DEC. 6.19.

JPatented Feb. 5, 1918.

VF a ball? IT? H L- 1 mmwm y HARRY B. VEH$TETDT, O15 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REINFORCING ATTACHMENT FOR THE REAR AXLES OF MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1917, Serial No. 140,027. Renewed December6, 1917. Serial No. 205,893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. VEHSTEDT,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in l-leinforcin g Attachments for the R-nr Axles ofMotor-Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccon'ipanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked.thereon,which form a part of this s )ecification.

This invention relates to an improved reinforcing attachment for therear axles of motor vehicles, and consists of the matters hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing attachment forthe rear axles of motor vehicles, for strengthening said axle so that itmay safely carry a greater loadthan that for which it was originallydesigned, as when it is used for truck purposes while its originaldesign was merely for passenger vehicle use.

stantially remove the load from the rear axle housings or to apply theload to the extreme ends of said housing, and at the same time toprovide such support for said housings as to maintain the axle shafts intrue alinement, so that there is no loss of power due to friction onaccount of the shafts binding 111 the housings. The many advantages ofmy invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a view in rear elevation ofmy improved reinforcingattachment, as applied to an axle housing of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the reinforcing attachment, a part ofsaid attaclr ment being broken away to more clearly show theconstruction thereof.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse, vertical section view through thereinforcing attachment, on an enlarged scale, the plane of the sectionbeing indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, the plane of the section being indicated bythe line 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse, vertical section view The improved reinforcingattachment is designed to subthrough one end of the improved reinforcingattachment, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 55 ofFig. 1.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in thedrawings l0-10 indicate the rear axle housings of a motor vehicle, and11, 11, indicate the abutting enlarged, inner ends of said housings,which. inclose the differential gearing.

1:2 indicates, as a whole, the reinforcing attachment for the rear axle.Said attachment consists, as shown herein, of a structure somewhatsimilar in design to the wellknown I beam, and comprises top and bottomflanges 14 and 15, and an intermediate web 13. The top and bottomflanges are not parallelthroughout their length as in the ordinaryI-beam, but diverge from each other from the'ends of the beam toward.the middle, that is to say, in the neighborhood of the enlarged. innerends 11 of the housings 10, where they are spaced apart a. sufficientdistance to pass above and below the parts 11. The web 13 is cut away atthis point to provide an opening 16, in this instance an annularopening, which is adapted to receive the housing-parts, 11.

The-web 13 is fiat in the middle part of the beam,lout is curvedtransversely or otherwise formed, toward the ends of the beam asindicated at 17 (see Fig. 4:), to provide bearing engagement with theends of the housings. The web parts 17 are adapted to be brought intosuch engagement, from the rear sides of said housings. At either side ofthe opening 16, there are provided oppositely disposed, semi-cylindricalstraps 18, 18 (see Figs. 1 and 3) which are of such radius as to engagethe housings at points near the ends-11. Said straps are held in suchengagement and are attached at the same time to the web 13, by means ofsuitable bolts 19. If desired, one of each pair of said straps,preferably the one on the rear side of the beam, may be cast or made integral with the main I-beam structure of the attachment. For the sake oflightening the beam, the web 13 is cut away as indicated at 20, ateither side of the main central opening 16.

At the ends of the attachment, the top and bottom flanges 14, 15 arewidened out to pro vide laterally extending ears 14*, 15 for clampingbolts 21, 22 located at each side of the web. The end parts 17 of theweb 13,

are preferably split as shown, and are drawn.

Patented Feb. 5,

closely into engagement with the axle housings by the clamping bolts 21.The opposite side of said housing, that is to say, the front part, isengaged by a block 23, which is held in place between the widened endparts 14, '15 of the flanges l4, 15, by means of the clamping bolts 22.

The reinforcing attachment is attached at its ends to the springs of theautomobile. In the embodiment of the invention, illustrated herein,connection with said springs is provided 'as follows :Each of the topend plates or flanges 14 is thickened to provide a spring seat, and haslongitudinally spaced ears 24 c24 between which is hinged a block 25.This block has a base or top plate 26 which engages the bottom leaf of aspring 27, and is attached by U bolts 28 to said springs are connectedto the seat plates 14:

spring, in a familiar manner.

From theconstruction described, it will be apparent that the attachmentitself is directly connected to the springs which carry the load. It-inturn,has supporting engagement with the rear axle housings, so that theattachment not only takes the load and relieves the rear axle of thisstrain, but in ad: dition, acts as a reinforcement and support for theaxle housings themselves.

' From the construction described, it is apparent that the device may beattached to the rear axle of any automobile or motor vehicle, from therear, by first removing the front straps 1S and the blocks 23. As it isbrought into proper engagement with the rear axlehousings, said blocksand straps are attached 1n asheretofore described, and the at the end ofthe top flange-of the device.

lVhile in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details ofmechanical construction and arrangement of parts, I do not limit myselfthereto except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A reinforcing attachment for the rear axle housings of automobiles,comprising a beam having top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web,said web having an open- I ing to receive the enlarged,'inner ends ofthe housings, and means for attaching said web to said housings.

2. A reinforcing attachment for the rear axle housings of automobiles,comprising a Copies ofthispateat may be obtained for beam having top andbottom flanges and an intermediate web, said web having an opening toreceive the enlarged, inner ends of the housings and end parts adaptedto engage the axle housings, and means for attaching said beam to saidhousings.

3. A reinforcing attachment for the rear axle housings of automobiles,comprising a beam having top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web,said web having an opening between its ends to receive the enlarged,inner ends of the housings, and end parts adapted to engage the axlehousings, and means for attaching said beam to said axle housings attheir ends and at points spaced therefrom.

4:. A reinforcing attachment for the rear axle housings of automobiles,comprising a beam having top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web,said flanges diverging from the ends toward the middle of said beam,said web having an opening at its middle to receive the enlarged, innerends of said housings and having parts at its ends adapted to engage thehousings, and detachable straps associated with said beam for attachingit to said axle housings.

5. A reinforcing attachment for the rear axle housings of automobiles,comprising a beam having top and bottom flanges and an intermediate web,said flanges diverging from the ends of said beam toward its mid- .dle,said web having an opening at its middle to receive the enlarged, innerends of said housings and having parts at its ends adapted to engage thehousings, the top and bottom flanges being widened at their ends, strapsadapted to be attached to the web near the opening at its middle and toengage the housings, and clamping blocks secured between the widened endparts of the top and bottom flanges of the beam, said blocks co-actingwith the end parts of said web, to clamp the beam to the axle housings.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I a'flix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of December A.D. 1916.

HARRY B. VEHSTEDT.

Witnesses KARL W. DOLL, T. H. Anrnnns.

five cents eaclnby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

